Perception Is Not Always Reality

Ivan Ornelas
Section 2
Week 9

I found the article "Why I love my strict Chinese mom" very interesting. As a student entering week 9 of a 10 week Asian American Studies course, of course I find this interesting and I wonder what may cause the daughter (Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld) to have such an opinion on her mom. But if an average non Asian-American person saw this article, he or she would be confused by the headline: why would anyone be happy to have a strict parent? People assume the average kid would rather have laid back parents who allowed them to pursue even their most odd passions than a parent who would micromanage essentially every aspect of a kid's life. And many of those people, including some others such as my self, have all heard stories (both humorous and serious) of strict Asian parents. Stereotypes are to be taken with a grain of salt. You cannot expect every member of a certain group to be accurately described by one thought, but they carry some truth. One of my Asian friends said he was a engineering major because his parents wanted him to be an engineer. If my major reflected my parents' wishes, I would be premed. I am a communications major.

Chua-Rubenfeld's reasoning was 100% valid. She felt her mother helped her become who she is today and has given her the traits necessary to become a strong individual. She knows it wasn't easy having a mother like hers but she believes the effort it took to stay the course her mother set for her was worth it in the long run. Many readers were likely left confused because on paper people generally never want an authority figure (coach, boss, parent, teacher) to only be strict or to be as strict as Sophia's Chinese mom. But perception is not always reality. Our outlook in life is not universal, it's 1 in 1 million, possibly 1 in 7 billion if we dug deep enough to allow all the minor differences to surface. What I believe is a bad idea could be seen by someone else as a good idea. Some people may lament having strict parents but others learn to embrace it. I will quote Grimsley from Pokemon Black and White versions "It's more important to master the cards you are holding than complain about the ones your opponent was dealt". No matter what our circumstances or environment may be, we can use it to our advantage and succeed in what we do.

Do you feel a quality in a mentor you view as positive is viewed by someone else you know as negative?